Help me name my cooking show

[Adam Grunseth]

I am having a terrible time coming up with a clever name for a new cooking show I am producing.

The show isn't just going to be your typical, how-to-cook-something, show set in a kitchen. It is going to explore people's relationship with food and ingredients. Frequently, we will be heading out of the studio to find fresh ingredients and discover different food related traditions.

Unfortunately, every name I come up with is already in use. I want something clever and unique, but am lacking the creativity to come up with it on my own. So, knowing that there is some great creativity in this group, I figured I would pose the question to all of you- What should I call my cooking show?

[Andrew Smith]

"Rub the Grub" (grub is Aussie for dinner) See https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=grub

"Catch and Cook" (for the ultimate 'where does our food come from' angle)

Andrew

[Dave Blackhurst]

(Are) you gonna eat that? If you use it, I get "credit" <wink>!

[Mark Watson]

"What's for Supper Grandpa?"
Oh that was used on the "Hee-Haw" show. I see what you mean....

"Road Kill" says it all.

[Andrew Smith]

Bigger problem is that it's yet another show about "people's relationship with food and ingredients". Sure there is a fresh angle?

Andrew

[Chris Harding]

Hi Adam

Give us a brief synopsis of the show and it's features or even better do you have a rough pilot? That way we can figure out a creative name ..especially as Andrew says, if it has a fresh angle ...Australia at the moment is in the grip of cooking shows and every channel seems to have one so something a little different and fresh would be inspiration for a name.

Are you the cook/presenter ? How will it make you money? Little questions like these help our visualization

[David Barnett]

I agree a bit more info's needed. Is this your show, are you the host, director only etc. Is it on TV or web only. How professional are the 'chefs'.

I know it's lame (my suggestion, not your show), but just brainstorming, how about "Oregon Foodies"?

[Jim Michael]

Dumpster Divas - Ladies who cook recycled food
Local Sourcerers - Working miracles with local products

[Adam Grunseth]

Originally Posted by Andrew Smith

Bigger problem is that it's yet another show about "people's relationship with food and ingredients". Sure there is a fresh angle?

Andrew

Don't worry, I am well aware that there are plenty of shows already out there. And, I'll even admit this show isn't some entirely new, amazing concept that the world hasn't seen before. The innovation comes from the distribution model, which was developed after proprietary research- Essentially, we found a market for such a show that isn't being served. However, because the research is proprietary, I don't want to publicly discuss exactly what the distribution model is, or the findings that lead to this model.

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

Hi Adam

Give us a brief synopsis of the show and it's features or even better do you have a rough pilot? That way we can figure out a creative name ..especially as Andrew says, if it has a fresh angle ...Australia at the moment is in the grip of cooking shows and every channel seems to have one so something a little different and fresh would be inspiration for a name.

Are you the cook/presenter ? How will it make you money? Little questions like these help our visualization

We are about two months out from shooting the pilot at this point.

I'm not sure how the Australian market compares to North America, but most of the cooking/lifestyle programs are consolidated on just a few cable networks here. Many of the cooking shows that do exist here either assume the audience is all made up of expert chefs who have dedicated their lives to food preparation, or are more focused on entertainment, with outrageous characters and competitions.

The show is going to be about food, and how to prepare food that tastes great. It is going to do so in a way that is friendly and non-condescending. Almost every dish is going to be relatively simple, and fairly quick, with easy to find ingredients. We aren't going to assume our audience has hours to prepare a single meal. Our target audience works all day, but they care enough about what they are eating to want to do something other than order take out or make one of the few recipes they know.

Frequently, the show will be heading out of the kitchen. We will be doing episodes with grilling in the backyard, football tailgating, spending time in the garden, going to farmers markets, cooking on an open fire while camping, and even deep sea fishing.

We will have a host who will anchor the show, and be able to do basic segments by him/herself. Otherwise, we will bring in expert chefs, or otherwise talk with experts on our location shoots.

Originally Posted by David Barnett

I agree a bit more info's needed. Is this your show, are you the host, director only etc. Is it on TV or web only. How professional are the 'chefs'.

I know it's lame (my suggestion, not your show), but just brainstorming, how about "Oregon Foodies"?

I am the co-producer and director of this show. I am not the host, or chef, and will have very little involvement planning the specific dishes that get made. My role is primarily overseeing the video production and managing distribution.

This is a multi-platform project, that will have both a television and web component. Unlike many other television programs, we are approaching this with a "web first" mentality. Our primary focus is going to be content production for the web, with the broadcast product growing out of that.

Unfortunately, the name "Oregon Foodies" doesn't quite work, as the show won't be limited just to Oregon viewers.

[Seth Bloombaum]

Eat
to
Live!

[Mark Watson]

"Chuck Wagon"

[Andrew Smith]

"Hold my beer and watch me cook this"

I do think you are on to something. A cooking show for the rest of us.

Bonus points if you start the show with the host showing a beautiful extravagant dish and commenting on how nice it is ... and then shoving it aside with the comment "but who's got time to cook that?".

Andrew

[Chris Harding]

Nice synopsis Adam without giving away anything! We have a current series from Jamie Oliver in the UK and he does a "Jamie's 15 minute meals" all complete meals that can be prepared in just 15 minutes but without the trips to the market or outdoor sessions ... I think you have come up with a great concept as most people simply don't have 3 hours to cook a banquet so easy to prepare meals that don't need a chef to understand them should be a winner.

I really think a "funny" name wouldn't go down in this scenario as we need food to live so we do take it seriously! Maybe a title that suggests good nutrition, easy preparation and a fast end result is the way to go? Something simple that viewers will remember easily like "The Ready, Steady Meals Show" but nowhere as corny as that, of course!! I'll leave the experts to conjure up a good one !

Just for interest will the web based show be live? Just asking as Andrew and I both tend to head in the live broadcast direction most of the time!

[Adam Grunseth]

Originally Posted by Andrew Smith

Bonus points if you start the show with the host showing a beautiful extravagant dish and commenting on how nice it is ... and then shoving it aside with the comment "but who's got time to cook that?".

Andrew

I actually really like that idea! We might have to do something like that once the show gets going.

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

Nice synopsis Adam without giving away anything! We have a current series from Jamie Oliver in the UK and he does a "Jamie's 15 minute meals" all complete meals that can be prepared in just 15 minutes but without the trips to the market or outdoor sessions ... I think you have come up with a great concept as most people simply don't have 3 hours to cook a banquet so easy to prepare meals that don't need a chef to understand them should be a winner.

I really think a "funny" name wouldn't go down in this scenario as we need food to live so we do take it seriously! Maybe a title that suggests good nutrition, easy preparation and a fast end result is the way to go? Something simple that viewers will remember easily like "The Ready, Steady Meals Show" but nowhere as corny as that, of course!! I'll leave the experts to conjure up a good one !

Just for interest will the web based show be live? Just asking as Andrew and I both tend to head in the live broadcast direction most of the time!

Chris, I couldn't agree more about the naming strategy. Something that viewers will remember is ideal. I don't want it to be something so clever that it is easy to forget, or impossible to register a good domain for. However, I'm not opposed to a little bit of humor, or food related puns, in the name, as long as it doesn't go overboard.

For the most part, the show won't be live. Especially as we are just starting out. However, I have been seriously thinking about doing the occasional live streamed special, for things like holiday meal preparation and what not.

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Adam

I was simply asking about live production as your website seems to revolve around exactly what we do as well. We also market on the concept that shoot first and edit later services cost money with lots of edit time but doing live edits are way more cost effective and at the moment we have applied this concept to weddings to try to cut out the sitting for a week in front of the computer trying to put bits of footage together!